Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to spotlight a few upcoming book releases that sound interesting to me. Here’s what’s coming out in the next few weeks.
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*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
March 2020 Book Releases
Glass Town:
The Imaginary World Of The Brontës by Isabel Greenberg
Adult Graphic Novel
March 3, 2020
Four children:
Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne have invented a world so real and vivid
that they can step right into it. But can reality be enough, when fiction is so
enticing? And what happens to an imaginary world when its creators grow up?
Plots are spiraling, characters are getting wildly out of hand, and a great deal of ink is being spilt.
Welcome to Glass Town.
What interests me? Isabel
Greenberg’s other book, The One Hundred Nights of Hero, is one of my all-time-favorite graphic novels. I’ll buy
anything she publishes. Also, this book is about real people, so bonus points!
The Kingdom Of Back by Marie Lu
Young Adult Historical Fantasy
March 3, 2020
Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.
Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.
And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.
Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.
And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.
What interests
me? Everybody raves about Marie Lu’s work. I
haven’t read any of it because there are so many books and so little time!
Historical fantasy always intrigues me, though. I love books like The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
that blend fantastical elements with history.
The Lonely Heart Of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Middlegrade Contemporary
March 3, 2020
Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane collects sounds. She records
the Louisiana crickets chirping, Momma strumming her guitar, their broken
trailer door squeaking. But the crown jewel of her collection is a sound she
didn't collect herself: an old recording of her daddy's warm-sunshine laugh,
saved on an old phone's voicemail. It's the only thing she has of his, and the
only thing she knows about him.
Until the day she hears that laugh—his laugh—pouring out of the car radio. Going against Momma's wishes, Maybelle starts listening to her radio DJ daddy's new show, drinking in every word like a plant leaning toward the sun. When he announces he'll be the judge of a singing contest in Nashville, she signs up. What better way to meet than to stand before him and sing with all her heart?
But the road to Nashville is bumpy. Her starch-stiff neighbor Mrs. Boggs offers to drive her in her RV. And a bully of a boy from the trailer park hitches a ride too. These are not the people May would have chosen to help her, but it turns out they're searching for things too. And the journey will bond them into the best kind of family—the kind you choose for yourself.
Until the day she hears that laugh—his laugh—pouring out of the car radio. Going against Momma's wishes, Maybelle starts listening to her radio DJ daddy's new show, drinking in every word like a plant leaning toward the sun. When he announces he'll be the judge of a singing contest in Nashville, she signs up. What better way to meet than to stand before him and sing with all her heart?
But the road to Nashville is bumpy. Her starch-stiff neighbor Mrs. Boggs offers to drive her in her RV. And a bully of a boy from the trailer park hitches a ride too. These are not the people May would have chosen to help her, but it turns out they're searching for things too. And the journey will bond them into the best kind of family—the kind you choose for yourself.
What interests
me? At first, I thought this was another
dead-parent children’s story, but the radio DJ thing got my attention. Meeting
your father for the first time at a singing contest sounds like a unique
premise for a novel. I’m curious.
Things You Can’t Say by Jenn Bishop
Middlegrade Contemporary
March 3, 2020
Nothing is going right this summer for Drew. And after losing
his dad unexpectedly three years ago, Drew knows a lot about things not going
right. First, it’s the new girl Audrey taking over everything at the library,
Drew’s sacred space. Then it’s his best friend, Filipe, pulling away from him.
But most upsetting has to be the mysterious man who is suddenly staying with
Drew’s family. An old friend of Mom’s? Drew isn’t buying that.
With an unlikely ally in Audrey, he’s determined to get to the bottom of who this man really is. The thing is, there are some fears—like what if the person you thought was your dad actually wasn’t—that you can’t speak out loud, not to anyone. At least that’s what Drew thinks.
But then again, first impressions can be deceiving.
What interests
me? Okay, I’m pretty sure this one is a dead-parent children’s story. I’m intrigued
by the mysterious man and “What if the person you thought was your dad
actually wasn’t.” It’s been
compared to The Science of Breakable Things, which I loved because it's sweet and hilarious.
The Inside Battle by Melanie Sumrow
Middlegrade Contemporary
March 3, 2020
Thirteen-year-old Rebel Mercer lives in west Texas with his
dad, Nathan, and his aunt Birdie. His dad is finally home after serving in the
military, and Rebel longs for his approval. But something isn't right. His dad
has PTSD, and lately he has been spending his time communicating with a racist,
anti-government militia group called the Flag Bearers. Rebel doesn't agree with
his dad's newfound ideas, but he turns a blind eye to them. So when his best
friend Ajeet beats Rebel at a robotics tournament by using one of Rebel's
pieces, Rebel begins to wonder if there's some truth to what his dad has been
saying, and he lashes out at Ajeet.
Expelled from school, Rebel's dad takes him to the mountains of Oklahoma, where they meet up with the Flag Bearers. Soon his dad is engulfed in the group and its activities, and they're becoming more and more dangerous. When Rebel gets wind of a planned attack on an African American church, he knows that this group has gone too far and innocent people could get hurt. Can Rebel find his voice and stop the Flag Bearers from carrying out their plans before it's too late?
What interests
me? Honestly, this sounds like a story that could
happen in my hometown. I meant to read the author’s debut novel, The Prophet Calls. It has excellent
reviews. I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet.
Coo by Kaela Noel
Middlegrade Contemporary? Fantasy? (I Don’t
Know)
March 3, 2020
Ten years ago, an impossible thing happened: a flock of
pigeons picked up a human baby who had been abandoned in an empty lot and
carried her, bundled in blankets, to their roof. Coo has lived her entire life
on the rooftop with the pigeons who saved her. It's the only home she's ever
known.
But then a hawk nearly kills Burr, the pigeon she loves most, and leaves him gravely hurt. Coo must make a perilous trip to the ground for the first time to find Tully, a retired postal worker who occasionally feeds Coo's flock and can heal injured birds.
Tully mends Burr's broken wing and coaxes Coo from her isolated life. Living with Tully, Coo experiences warmth, safety, and human relationships for the first time. But just as Coo is beginning to blossom, she learns that the human world is infinitely more complex—and cruel—than she could have imagined.
Why it
interests me? Normally, I’d agree with
Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight that books about bird-people are icky, but this
one is giving me vibes of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s The War That Saved My Life. That excellent series is also about an
isolated child who moves in with a foster parent and is confused by life. Coo has been compared to work by Kate DiCamillo and Katherine
Applegate. I like both those authors.
Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
Middlegrade Historical Fiction
March 3, 2020
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her
beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-grandfather was an early English
settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many
people there—including Mary—are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in
sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.
But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment.
What interests me? I actually know a little about the deaf community on Martha's Vineyard. I learned about it in a history class I took
at some point in my life. I don’t remember which history class because I took a
ton of them. Anyway, this is an #OwnVoices book. The author and the characters
are deaf.
Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis
Young
Adult Contemporary / Adventure
March
3, 2020
The world is
not tame.
Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone—and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.
Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone—and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.
What interests me? I’ve read a
few other Mindy McGinnis books and loved them. She’s a brilliant writer. This
novel is all about wilderness survival. Amazon describes it as Hatchet meets Wild. I like both of those books, so I have high hopes.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn (Dangerous Remedy #1)
Young Adult Historical Fantasy
March 5, 2020
The first in a dazzling, commercial, historical adventure
series set in the extravagant and deadly world of the French Revolution. A
whirlwind of action, science and magic reveals, with a diverse cast of fearless
heroines, a band of rebels like no other.
Camille, a revolutionary's daughter, leads a band of outcasts—a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl's no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?
What interests
me? Historical fantasy! The guillotine on the
cover! Mostly I want to know about the rescued girl with the “dark and
disturbing powers.” I enjoy dark and disturbing.
Are
you looking forward to any March book releases?
Lots of good books here but Maybelle Lane sounds like one I'd seek out. I thought at first her father was dead too but when it went the whole he's-a-DJ-twist, I was in. Great bunch of books this coming month!
ReplyDeleteYou've got a few of my list as well.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Wednesday Post
I'm really interesting in checking out The Kingdom of Back. I need more Marie Lu in my life. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteMy Can't-Wait Wednesday post
Hi AJ,
ReplyDeleteIt was good to have you visit Fiction Books for the first time this week. I always enjoy 'meeting' new people, even though it may be that our paths don't cross too often, as our tastes in reading genres don't seem to overlap too much!
I read very little in the way of science fiction, YA, or fantasy, although I have been known to be persuaded on the odd occasion!
To be honest, some of the YA fiction is so well written these days, with such great storylines, that the lines between that genre and adult fiction, can be quite blurred.
I quite like the sound of 'Be Not Far From Me' and 'The Inside Battle', so I shall be keen t see what you think of those two.
Enjoy the rest of your week and Happy Reading :)
Yvonne
xx
Most of these are new to me and sound really good too!
ReplyDeleteMy CWW
Ooh, Dangerous Remedy sounds so interesting... I'll have to keep an eye out for that one!
ReplyDeleteI have seen a lot of wonderful reviews for Maybelle Lane, so I am curious about that one. Show Me a Sign looks awesome too, and I am always onboard for more Marie Lu
ReplyDeleteI've only read one book by Marie Lu but I liked it a lot. I really want to read more of her stuff.
ReplyDeleteDangerous Remedy sounds a little dark, and pretty awesome too!
I have Kingdom of Back on preorder! I'm also so excited to read Coo! I read an early excerpt and absolutely adored it. I hope you get to read these books!
ReplyDeleteYou have such wonderfully different books here, Aj -- Coo, just sounds utterly adorable, and the Lonely heart of Maybelle Lane sounds bittersweet -- that she has to go so far to get her father's attention. The Inside battle sounds powerful, but tragic too -- I can't imagine how he's going to reach his father so steeped in the Flag Bearers group.
ReplyDeleteThe Kingdom of Back is one I'm looking forward to!
ReplyDeleteSome of these are new to me--thanks for putting them on my radar! There's been a lot of buzz for The Kingdom of Back.
ReplyDeleteJust added Glass Town to my Goodreads wish list. I'm also super curious about Show Me a Sign. I've read two books by Mindy McGinnis and I loved both, but I don't know about this new one...I've never been a fan of books like Hatchet, etc.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Things You Can't Say and Show Me a Sign sound really fabulous. I can't wait to see what you think of them!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I'm super excited for Marie Lu's new book. It sounds so good. :)
ReplyDeleteI somehow missed that Mindy McGinnis had a new book coming out!
ReplyDeleteShow Me a Sign and Dangerous Remedy interest me the most, but you have a lot of winners listed. Hope you enjoy them all.
ReplyDeleteVery nice list of books. They all look good.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for Kingdom of Back and Be Not Far From Me! Somehow I thought Kingdom of Back was still a ways off. Hurray!
ReplyDeleteSoooo, they all sound good! But the two that stand out to me are Be Not Far From Me and Glass Town! I'm so glad you featured these; they sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for the Marie Lu book. I've loved everything of hers I've read so far and like you, I'm very intrigued by the idea of historical fantasy.
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention I'm loving your website's new look!
DeleteIf Mindy McGinnis and Marie Lu write it, I think at some point I will definitely get around to reading it. I am looking forward to the releases of those ones too. Hope you can get around to all of these <3
ReplyDeleteOlivia-S @ Olivia's Catastrophe
I'm especially taken with Coo. I think it's the comparison with Kate DiCamillo who I adore.
ReplyDeleteThe cover of Coo is so cute AJ! And I should try a book by Mindy!
ReplyDeleteOh so many great Middle Grade books, just in time for Middle Grade March too! I can't wait to check out Choo and The Inside Battle.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a chance to even look at March releases yet! I need to check out a few horror sites!
ReplyDeleteDangerous Remedy and Kingdom of Back both look good! I read Be Not Far From Me and really liked it, so I hope you do too!
ReplyDelete